Chip Kelly spoke prior to the Eagles' practice on Thursday and, to no surprise, he was asked about the dumb rumors connecting him back to college. Here was the exchange between him and various reporters:
Reporter: "Chip, has anyone from Southern Cal contacted you or your agent? South Carolina?"
Chip: "No. No. No. No. No. No. No. North Texas."
Reporter: " ... State?"
Chip: "State. The Armadillos, or whatever."
Reporter: "Is it a distraction, though, when --"
Chip: "Just keep asking questions like this in press conferences, and it'll be over quicker. What do you want to talk about? Let's talk about another college. You got 10 minutes, so let's talk about North Texas. I know you have an obligation, and I understand that. It's going to happen. We're not successful and we're not winning, I came from college, and I'm going to go back to college. I hope someday to be like coach [Tom] Coughlin and win enough games to stay around long enough where that speculation ends. I understand you have to ask the question, but I answered it the same way a year ago, I answered it the same way my first year here. It's just an unfortunate part of the game because the other part of it is there are people who have lost their jobs. A friend of mine in Steve Sarkisian, who is dealing with a big issue right now, and I wish him the best out of the whole thing. And that's how I look at that situation."
Reporter: "How much are you concerned about the talk of it though, Chip, undermining your authority here or in your locker room?"
Chip: "Our players could care less about it. Ask them, I guess. I don't think Jason Kelce is really concerned because my name came up with a college. He's concerned with going against Steve Spagnuolo's defense, which is what's first and foremost on our team right now."
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So there you have it, for the third year in a row. Kelly says he isn't going anywhere.